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Thursday, December 14, 2006

Lethal Injection: Let's Try Something Different

Well, here's a story in our local paper about a murderer who killed at least a couple people (he was sentenced for one murder in Mexico, escaped, and killed again in Florida). He finally got a death sentence carried out 17 years later (way too long after the murders) and took 34 minutes to die by lethal injection.

Apparently he didn't die comfortably. "The scene of a grimacing Angel Diaz once again called into question the way the state kills condemned prisoners," editorialize the two writers of this story.

Gee, my heart bleeds for Diaz. (I assume that we were that worried about the agony that his victims and their families went through, also). So, I'm ready to propose that we guillotine them instead. It's a much quicker way than lethal injection, wouldn't you agree? It also would cost us a lot less (no more chemicals, needles, or doctors needed). All we would need to do is make sure that the blade was nice and sharp each time. Heck, I'm even willing to recommend that we hire a Blade Sharpening Specialist just to make sure that there's minimum discomfort and it's at it's peak of serviceability!

26
comments:

Anonymous
said...

First again! That makes two in a row!

I agree. I wrote about the death panalty when Michael Morales was given a stay based on the possibility that it might be cruel and unusual. Give me a break. That ruling put a de facto moratorium on capital punishment in California. You probably read it when I wrote it, but for anyone who would care to, you can find it here.

I guess the other thing I found odd about the situation is that a family member asked, "Who came down to Earth and gave you the right to kill somebody?" That really annoyed me; this guy took a bunch of lives, who gave him the permission to do that? I really wish that our justice system was much harsher so that it was mor of a deterrent to crimes. How many of the people in jail today are repeat offenders? Clearly something is not working when they just keep committing the same crimes. I think in this day and age we should be coming more progressive with handling crime and reducing crime but that doesn't seem to be the case. The area where I live (a nice affluent beach community) has had huge increases in crime this year, record numbers of homicides, everyone has a gun and has no fear in using it.

Wow, I guess I'm the only person here who opposes capital punishment. Some experts would discount that mere 34 minutes as cruel and unusual, instead focussing on the ten years a prisoner might wait on death row as the cruel and unusual punishment.

I just don't think the state should have the right to take a human life in execution, as opposed to necessary defensive wars.

That said, I'm conservative on a number of issues, including border security. How the HELL did Diaz get over our super-secure border with Mexico anyway! Lou Dobbs for president.

I'm also advocating the repeal of the 19th Amendment, which really bites my ass. You think I'm kidding.....

Anonymous, I am dead serious. We need to roll back this "activist" legislating as it's only been 86 years or so. That's not long, historically speaking.

I'm also advocating that other non-human members of the great apes species be given legal "personhood." Sure, they don't reach our relative levels of intelligence but would be more like minors in our legal system. It is of course illegal to hunt minors.... and you have to make sure they don't go extinct.

Guardians could even initiate lawsuits. You think I'm crazy but there are legal minds inthe United States TODAY working on this.

How about we ask the World's other pillars of freedom and democracy which methods they use for capital punishment? Of course by "pillars of freedom" I mean China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and so on. And for China - they account for about 90% of all executions. They are supposedly going to switch from bullets to lethal injection. According to Wikipedia Iran offed 154 people in 05 - it did not say how. The USA came in with 60 in 05. The Saudis were not mentioned, but we know that they carry out public executions in the street. They go for the "lop off the head with a sword" method. Very effective. I hope they do this by a storm sewer drain for easy clean up!

Or we can just consult the Bible to see which method of capital punishment Jesus would authorize. I could sell bumper stickers that say HWJKP (How Would Jesus Kill People) surrounded by nooses, rifles, needles, electric chairs, swords, axes, ice picks, baseball bats, lions, and so on. People could circle their favorite method on their sticker!

And we can tell by the lack of murders in the USA that capital punishment is a great deterrent.

Perhaps by instantaneously filling them with worms, sick them with swarming locusts and bringing in the army of Israel to disembowel them (and their families). Or I wonder how much turning them to pillars of salt would hurt?

Emma - all those things happened in the Old Testament. As far as I can tell from the writings of the New Testament, Jesus was all about peace. You know, let he who is without sin cast the first stone and stuff. I could have missed the part where he raised an army to overthrow the Roman invaders however.

Matt: you're not alone, I for one (perhaps it's because I'm European) see any form of capital punishment as a mark of a backward thinking, regressive regime that is barely clutching to civilised status.

Lazy Iguana: once again you point out the facts beautifully, glad you spotted Emma's use of the Old Testament, she had to laugh otherwise she'd cry...

Everyone, thanks for your contributions on this one. I agree with Lazy Iguana (where he says that Jesus was essentially peaceful) but Jesus never revoked Capital Punishment. In fact, he said "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." -Matt 5:16-18 So, it really cannot be argued that Jesus wouldn't approve.

Daniel--It says something that Mexico, a Third World country, refuses to extradite to the United States criminals that face the death penalty (though killers do get by our super-secure border w/ that country).

Sauer--I like how you refer to Matthew as Matt. But forget about Jesus' philosophy on the propehecies and all of that nonsense. I think the larger point is that he himself was... executed.

i think killers should be forced to run off a cliff, then no one could be blamed for "pushing the button" so to speak. i also think that curly fries kill people if you eat them enough,. maybe we need to ban curly fries. or just make dhg eat them. i hate arguing. it makes me want to beat people up.

Lazy Iguana,Seeing you don't know me well, no, I am not familiar with the Bible at all. ;o) I have studied it my entire life. Comments don't handle inflection well so I can gather you missed my sarcasm.

Saur,Jesus was peaceful, and you are right, Old Testament, New Testament do not contradict each other, they cannot.

and Matt, have you been to Mexico prisons? You'd only wish you were on death row being detained at one of those.

I'm always entertained by those who accuse anyone who favors capital punishment of limited or non existent civilization. I am equally entertained when Sour gets down and dirty with her feelings. In this case I probably favor Saur. I'll try civilization when I am sure nobody is following me down a dark street.

What is even funnier is that they use alcohol at the injection site...like the condemned man is worried about an infection.I am all for the punishment fitting the crime. You put a car thief in a room full of other thiefs all he will come out with is better was to steal. Murders, rapist, molesters and thiefs are all pilled in the same room to tear each other new assholes....no justice there in my book. I am all for putting the scum to work, maybe its my Alabama blood but anyone ever seen a chain gang? Now that is punishment!

About Me

Saur♥Kraut

Saur♥Kraut has been called The Mouth of the South.

This blog was repeatedly named one of the best blogs in the area by the (then) St. Pete Times and Tampa Tribune. After a hiatus of a little over 3 years, she has recently returned to blogging and generally annoying everyone.

Saur♥Kraut grew up in the Tampa Bay Area and, after a brief period of roaming, settled there for good... just as a tick settles on a dog. She now lives in uneasy symbiosis with the most densely populated area within the State of Florida.